AMETISTA DO SUL
Ametista do Sul is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Known as the Amethyst capital of the world, the municipality takes its name because of the strong activities involving Amethyst mining and processing.The city has many curiosities involving Amethysts, a winery that ages its wines inside an old mine deactivated taking advantage of the humidity and temperature ideal for the wine maturation process. The local church, Matriz de São Gabriel, has its walls, alters and decoration made in Amethyst and Citrine, a restaurant inside a Amethys mine is one of the most visited in town.
Amethyst mining
Mining in Ametista do Sul region began by chance, when hunters and pioneer farmers who inhabited the region in the 1930s found the first stones under tree roots, streams and plowed areas.
With the end of World War II, due to the great commercial value of the stones, the interest for the exploration increased. At that time the first prospectors appeared, who made the excavations in the shape of a well with a lateral opening called a loader, which was facilitated due to the rugged topography.
The year 1972 was the peak of production and the garimpo, which was outdoors, began to be made in the form of galleries that currently reach the extent of approximately 800 meters.
Winery, ages wine inside a mine
Located in the region of precious stones and thermal waters, the Ametista Winery, of Ametista do Sul is a reference in the quality of the wine in the State. One of the reasons is its soil, stony, drained, mineralized with well defined seasons and climate making the site unique in the world, conducive to production that guarantees grapes with perfect ripeness and tannins.
The 15-year experience in grapevine cultivation (own production) has elevated the process to the differentiated level of wine aging through the use of underground galleries (about 300 meters deep) of amethysts, agate, citrus and other minerals with ideal temperature and humidity for the wines maturation.